What external USB2 TV tuner to get?

[Guden Oden]

My Sony TV set went and died on me after like nineteen years of faithful service. Actually, the electronics and TV tube is still good, but the "human interface" (read: buttons) finally gave out on it after like 1 million channel changes.

I have no PCI slots left to waste, so if I want a tuner for the PC, it has to be external. Which to choose, and why?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Eew. Is there any way to free up a PCI slot? I've never met a USB interface TV that I liked. :?

(Then again, that was before USB2.0 so your own mileage may vary)

 

[_xxx_]

Why don't you just get a new remote? :?

Try this one: http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvrusb2.html

 

[Guden Oden]

Who said the TV even has a remote? Besides, would you spend even a penny on a NINETEEN YEAR OLD TV? Other than perhaps a new cloth every once in a while to wipe the dust off the screen...

Anyway, I'm a little wary over anything hauppauge - their PCI card I bought never worked correctly no matter what driver or program or OS I used when trying to capture video. Either there would be no picture or no sound or half the frames would be pink or it only captured odd lines with garbage on the even, or the driver would crash when pressing the record button, or the capture program would crash, or... No matter the combination, there was always some cock-up somewhere that prevented things from working.

Hauppauge to me is like ATi in the bad old days. Perhaps decent enough hardware, but shitty ass software.

 

[_xxx_]

That must be years ago? I bought mine 2 years ago and never had a single problem. Very good quality of recordings, too.

And all the other stuff out there is simply much worse in terms of SW.

The old ones didn't have MPEG2 HW-encoding, the PVR-series do.

Alternatively you can try this one, but I have no idea how their SW/drivers are. I owned a PCI TV card from Terratec before and the SW sucked big time back then.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Oooh, I love Hauppauge. I've had the same Hauppauge "TView99" since about '98 and it only gave me grief when I switched from 98se to XP.

XP and it did NOT get along, I agree with what you said about Hauppauge's early XP drivers/software; but they've come a long way and have really got their act together. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Hauppauge TV card of any type right now, I love the brand.

(Oh, I got my TView99 in my PC right now. I just use some third party drivers and DScaler and the puppy is just incredible!)

 

[BRiT]

Plextor USB2 TV402U-NA ConvertX: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814144504

It's external USB2 and has HARDWARE MPG1/MPG2 and DiVX encoding with PVR functions.

 

[epicstruggle]

best place to get info/advice:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=26

 

[Guden Oden]

Okies, thank you guys for the tips and advice! I'm thinking of simply getting a standard set anyway tho, it would be easier. Thing is, I'd like to get away from the CRT, but there doesn't seem to be any smaller flatscreen TVs available, particulary with a decent price... Bleh.